A defiant Shiv Sena on Thursday defended party MPs facing severe criticism for their attempt to force-feed a fasting Muslim employee at Maharashtra Sadan, the state guesthouse in Delhi. An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamna – seen to be the
views of party president Uddhav Thackeray – said Thane MP Rajan Vichare was right in thrusting a chapatti into the mouth of the catering supervisor, who was observing his Ramzan fast.

“The media and political parties are biased and are giving the incident an unnecessary communal turn. Our MPs were only trying to protest against the abysmal state of affairs at Maharashtra Sadan,” the editorial said.

The party mouthpiece added that the chapattis should have been force-fed to Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, public works minister Chhagan Bhujbal and others, since the food was inedible.

The incident caused pandemonium in Parliament on Wednesday with the Opposition demanding action against the 11 MPs. BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri and the parliamentarian from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi almost came to blows over the issue.

The editorial, however, backed the MPs, saying, “When the incident took place, no one knew the contractor’s religion, it wasn’t written on his forehead… We are proponents of Hindutva but don’t despise other religions. However, we won’t keep quiet if someone is going to defame us using religion.”

The Saamna editorial also pointed out that in two separate rape cases of young women during Ramzan, Muslims were accused, and asked why the media was silent on the issue.

“In Bangalore, a Muslim teacher raped a student during the holy month of Ramzan. But both media and politicians have nothing to say about it. They are okay with a rape but not a chapatti,” said the editorial.

The editorial further said the government was trying to suppress corruption at the Sadan by communalizing the issue.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Thackeray too brought up the issue of irregularities in the Sadan’s construction, calling for a probe. He also demanded the resignation of Maharashtra’s resident commissioner in Delhi Bipin Malick, also the Sadan in-charge.

“Why is it called Maharashtra Sadan when everything there is inferior? The food is bad, people from the state don’t get accommodation, so convert it into a hotel,” Uddhav said.

The Saamna editorial also pointed out that in two separate rape cases of young women during Ramzan, Muslims were accused, and asked why the media was silent on the issue.

“In Bangalore, a Muslim teacher raped a student during the holy month of Ramzan. But both media and politicians have nothing to say about it. They are okay with a rape but not a chapatti,” said the editorial.

The editorial further said the government was trying to suppress corruption at the Sadan by communalizing the issue.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Thackeray too brought up the issue of irregularities in the Sadan’s construction, calling for a probe. He also demanded the resignation of Maharashtra’s resident commissioner in Delhi Bipin Malick, also the Sadan in-charge.

“Why is it called Maharashtra Sadan when everything there is inferior? The food is bad, people from the state don’t get accommodation, so convert it into a hotel,” Uddhav said.